Toilet bowls, shower stalls, sinks and bathtubs accumulate a steady buildup of organic and inorganic deposits on their surfaces as a result of repeated use. There are various causes for this buildup. Deposits are primarily the result of iron, hard water minerals, biological films (biofilms), insoluble soap residues and washed-off debris from the body. All of these deposits create an unsightly and unhealthy environment that is unacceptable from the standpoint of cleanliness and good hygiene, as well as aesthetics. In public rest rooms at commercial establishments, customer reaction to these unsightly deposits can result in direct financial loss as well.
Conventionally, such deposits are cleaned by vigorous scrubbing with a brush or harsh cleanser. Numerous patents claim the use of solutions to make the task easier. The products now marketed for this purpose, in addition to generally providing fragrance, are sold to do one of two things: (1) help control hard water and iron scale deposits, or (2) inhibit bacterial growth and/or minimize biofilm formation, but not both.
Many ingredients recommended for preventing formation of hard-water scales undesirably reduce the effectiveness of ingredients recommended for biofilm prevention, and vice versa. For example, ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid, commonly recommended for removal of hard-water deposits, interferes with the effectiveness of the quaternary biocides by chemically reacting to form a precipitate.
US patent application No. 2002/0002125 discloses an acidic cleaning and disinfecting composition for hard surfaces comprising a film-forming organosilicone quaternary ammonium compound, a zwitterionic amine oxide surfactant, a nonionic surfactant, an organic solvent and water. It optionally contains sulfamic acid, glycolic acid or citric acid.
There is a need for an improved method of preventing both biofilm and hard water scale deposits on ceramic surfaces, preferably one which will prevent deposits for an extended period of time. This invention solves the problem of frequent manual cleaning of ceramic surfaces using a brush or other agent by preventing deposition onto the surface of the primary stains (hard water/iron scale and biofilm). This invention is useful in achieving scale or residue prevention and biofilm prevention at the same time, and for an extended period of time.